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About New York City buses
There are several kinds of buses in New York City, including:
- Local buses
- Select Bus Service (SBS) buses, which make fewer stops, travel on priority routes, and board at all doors.
- Limited buses, which look like local buses but make fewer stops. Look for "LTD" on the front of the bus, and purple signage at bus stops.
- Rush buses, which look like local buses and make local stops far from the subway and limited stops closer to hubs.
- Express buses, which look like coach buses and run between boroughs. Many operate only during weekday rush hours.
All MTA buses are accessible for riders who use a wheelchair. See our guide to accessible bus travel for more details.
Here are schedules and maps for bus routes.
For real-time service information, maps, schedules, and more, download the MTA app.
Tips for riding
- Don’t block seats or aisles.
- When your stop is approaching, push one of the mounted yellow tape strips, pull a yellow cord along the windows, or press a red stop button on one of the grab bars.
- Exit through the rear doors.
- Keep seats at the front available for people who need them. It is required to surrender accessible seats upon request.
- Don’t stand in the stairwell or doorway while the bus is moving.
- For help planning a trip, call 511. You can also use your preferred relay service provider, or the free 711 relay.
About bus fares
Tap and ride with your credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card.
- Local, SBS, limited, and rush buses: $3 for most riders
- Express buses: $7.25 for most riders
- Q70-LaGuardia Link service to and from LaGuardia Airport is fare-free.
- People who are 65 or older, or who have a qualifying disability, are eligible for reduced fare.
- When you tap and ride, you won't spend more than $35 a week on subway and local bus fares, or $67 on subway, local bus, and express bus rides.
How to tap and ride on a bus
- Tap your contactless credit or debit card, smartphone, wearable device, or OMNY Card at the OMNY reader as you enter.
- On local, limited, rush, and express buses, you must enter and use the reader at the front door. On SBS buses, enter at any door and use the reader there.
- If you are using a phone or other mobile device, you may need to open your "wallet" app, depending on your device.
- If you have Express Transit in Apple Wallet, just tap and ride.
Bus stops
Most bus stops are marked with a tall, round sign with a bus symbol and route number. (MTA lingo for these signs is “lollipops.”) Some stops also have bus shelters. Some bus stops are marked with a blue, rectangular sign with a bus symbol and route number (some older express bus stop signs are green).
How to board the bus
Stay on the curb until the bus stops and the doors open.
Some buses “kneel,” or tilt down toward the curb, so passengers can board more easily.
Requesting a stop during late nights
From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., you can ask your bus operator to let you off at locations that aren't bus stops. They'll find a safe place along the route to stop the bus.
You can only request stops on local bus routes, rush bus routes in their local segments, and express bus routes in their non-express segments.
This service is not available on SBS or limited buses, the rush segments of rush routes, the nonstop segments of express bus service, or shuttle buses.
How to transfer
When you tap and ride, you don’t need a paper ticket to transfer to another bus. Use the same card or device throughout your journey and transfers will be applied automatically. Tap and ride is available on all MTA-operated local, limited, rush, and Select Bus Service routes in New York City, as well as express buses.
You can transfer for free from one local bus route to another local bus route or any subway train. Transfers are good within two hours of when you paid the fare. Transferring to an express bus from a local bus or the subway just costs the fare difference.
Paying with MetroCard or cash
As of January 1, 2026, you can no longer buy or refill a MetroCard.
If you still have a valid MetroCard, you can spend down the remaining value before it expires. Dip your card it in the farebox when you board a local, limited, rush, or express bus. On Select Bus Service buses, use one of the sidewalk kiosks before boarding to get a paper ticket, which you must keep with you throughout your trip.
Cash is currently accepted on local, limited, rush, and Select Bus Service buses. Insert exact change in coins in the farebox of a local, limited, or rush bus when you board. On Select Bus Service buses, insert exact change in coins in one of the sidewalk kiosks before boarding to get a paper ticket, which you must keep with you throughout your trip.
Both MetroCard and cash will stop being accepted at the same time in 2026. The exact date will be announced later in the year. Once cash is no longer accepted on buses, you will still be able to use cash and coins to add value to an OMNY Card at vending machines in every subway station and at more than 2,700 retail locations.
Other tips
- Some buses have Designated Open Stroller Areas. If your bus does not, you must fold strollers before you board and keep them folded during your ride.
- Bus operators can help you, but please stand back and do not talk to them while the bus is in motion, and be mindful of other passengers.